Dam Destroyed to Make Way for Local Fish
During the Winter of 2011, the RCD and the Napa County Flood Control District toured the Napa Valley to identify potential fish barrier removal projects. One project identified was a defunct flashboard dam that acted as a partial obstruction to nearly 0.8 miles of ideal steelhead spawning and rearing habitat. At high flows, the dam constricted the stream’s passage, which increased water velocities beyond a fish’s ability to move upstream of the structure. Over the course of two days, workers from the California Conservation Corp removed nearly 1300 pounds of concrete and transported it to recycling facilites. This project helped to make Wing Canyon creek and the Dry Creek watershed better able to support sustainable populations of steelhead trout and similar species.
Quick facts:
- Significance: Wing Canyon creek offers nearly 1.2 miles of high quality spawning and rearing habitat for steelhead trout; however, roughly 0.8 miles of the stream habitat was being restricted by a defunct flashboard dam.
- Where: Wing Canyon creek is a tributary to the Dry Creek sub-watershed, which is located north of Napa near the Oakville crossroad.
- Results: Around 1300 pounds of concrete was removed from the area and transported to a recycling facility. This opened up a significant stretch of Wing Canyon creek for spawning and rearing.
- Partners: Napa County Flood Control District and the California Conservation Corp